Sly Cooper and the Mystic Manor
by King of 2211
Summary: Invited to a mysterious by the equally enigmatic Lord Henry Mystic, Sly and friends will learn things no one else in their hometown knows about. Alternate Halloween fic. SlyXCarm; BentleyXPenelope.
1. Chapter 1

**How goes it Fanfictionites, the King is in the house with an alternate Halloween fic, because it'll be a while before I'm finish with it. I apologize for the inconvenience and I promise to have it resolved and to have the other story finished next month. Before we start, just saw the Book of Life; it was unbelievably awesome! Seriously, the story, the animation, even the cast and characters were spectacular: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, even Ron Perlman and Ice Cube themselves! Fun fact: in Canada, Thanksgiving comes in October, right before Halloween; weird huh? Anyway, I hope this will be to everyone's approval and enjoyment; here we go! Disney and Sanzaru own everything but OCs. Please do enjoy!**

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><p>Prologue: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers<p>

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><p>To many common people, the need for something more than just their ordinary schedule to their average life Then there are those in this life who want more in life than what is handed to them; fame and fortune just isn't enough. Then there are those who have inspiration to explore the unknown and travel to where most wouldn't understand or comprehend. To the weak of heart, one wrong move in only one of the many expeditions of this organization would prove to be fatal, but to those who prove worthy of their ranks . . . the find of a lifetime. To the world around, they don't exist. To those who believe in the unbelievable, they are known as the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.<p>

For as old as the Colonial era, the S.E.A have gone far and wide across the globe, consisting of many scientists, explorers, researchers, travelers and adventurers; all of dedicated to the continued exploration of the world's oceans and exotic lands.

One of the most prominent members was a man known as Henry Mystic, Lord Henry Mystic in formalities, an enthusiastic and determined member among his fellow explorers. On one of his expeditions, he happened upon an undiscovered wilderness in the bowels of Papua New Guinea and instantly became entranced by its scenery. He basically fell in love with this location - this uncharted tropical wilderness - and wanted to stake his claim, to make his home there. Clearing out part of the area of the jungle along the riverbank, he had his estate built up in a matter of months. Being the British gentleman he was, he wanted a little bit of home in this tropical wilderness and added the essence of a Victorian manor, but of course wanted to embellish it with all the different places he's been. While he was building his mansion, he met and rescued a recent junior member of the S.E.A. who would later become his travel companion and apprentice, a young monkey named Albert; a name that he liked since one of his beloved uncles was named Albert.

It wasn't long when Mystic decided that he not only wanted more people to share this fantastic land with others, but to convert his entire mansion to showcase the man treasures he came into possession over the years. It was then that Lord Mystic, along with Albert, three of Mystic's grand-nephews, and other members of the S.E.A. worked together to make a vintage-style, yet livable and prospering cultural community.

Mystic Point.

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><p><strong>Another Mansion, another adventure for our heroes to tackle; could it be any more nostalgic? Well, I promised more and more, and I intend to keep this promise kept; there are also somethings that will be references to Disney-related memorabilia. I know basing these stories on rides rather than making up an original story is somewhat confusing, but it's the only thing I could come up with. I certainly hope everyone will like what I have, please do enjoy; later days!<strong>


	2. Welcome to Mystic Point

Chapter One: Welcome to Mystic Point

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><p>October 17.<p>

Only two days till Halloween.

The night where ghosties and ghoulies, and long-legged beasties, along with other creatures that go bump in the night would be able to walk among mortal kind.

Speaking of mortals, our story takes place in the small town of Swallow Falls, Louisiana, which was a couple of miles from New Orléans; in one house of which was a young raccoon boy who appeared to be the age of sixteen years of age with the usual colored grey and black fur (with rings on his bushy tail and mask over his eyes). He was of average size with a slim yet strong body, short light-grey hair, and dark-brown hair. This person was known as Sylvester Kevin Cooper, or just "Sly" to everyone who knew him, a descendant of a long line of thieves that ended their tradition by his great-grandfather; Thaddeus Cooper. He wasn't an athlete peruse, but he soon found solace in the free running art of Parkour, plus he was a black belt in Karate and other forms of Martial Arts. Currently, he was packing a few essentials for a coming trip for the next morning. It wasn't hard to convince his parents that he and others were going on a school trip, it was the part where they were going on Saturday and wouldn't be home till late with only one teacher and a guidance counselor as chaperons that was a challenge. Either way, they were very suspicious and were sure to consider calling the principal, but they relented nonetheless.

These few months were really something else; he'd been to two of the most haunted houses (plus a literal ghost town) in the United States, the first with his friends (four of which were already his friends and two were bullies-turned-friends), the second with his class and two adults. If he were any other person, he'd have a nervous breakdown just like everyone else, but he wasn't like "everyone else". He had gone through a lot of things no one mundane or ordinary person would understand, even in their wildest dreams. Yes, he'd admit it was pretty unbelievable to the point of insanity, but he was a very flexible person who always tried to see the brighter side of things whenever they got dark.

"~This is Halloween, this is Halloween~" Sly hummed as he got ready for bed.

He did have a promise to keep after all . . .

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><p>It was a nice cool October Saturday morning as everyone, though it took quite a while, had met up in the woods as to not attract attention. The group consisted of youths as followed: three cats, a pair of golden retrievers, a pair of tigresses, a lion, a badger, a duck, a gecko, a pantheress, a skunk, another vixen, a toy terrier and a ferret. Among them were two adults, a koala and an older pantheress who appeared to be in their mid-thirties and late-forties respectively.<p>

Sly stood with the seven people he was proud (to an extent for one of them) to call his friends, now wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, blue hoodie, dark-Navy jeans that was held up by a black leather, a blue flat cap, black gloves, and black Vans.

Among the group was Sly's friends a turtle, a hippo, a vixen, a mouse , a panda, and marine iguana; and what a mismatched group of friends they were. The turtle had a lanky build with green-colored scales, bronze-colored shell, short brown hair, and green eyes. He wore a beige long-sleeved button-up shirt with a bowtie, square-rimmed glasses, brown gloves, that were held up by a black belt brown pants and black high-tops. This person was known as Bentley Olsen, No. 1 of the Top Ten smartest youths in Swallow Falls and was talented inventor/tech whiz as well as an environmental enthusiast.

The hippo was the second tallest of the seven with a muscular body with magenta-colored skin, bald head, and dark-brown eyes that seemed to border a shade of red. He wore a blue T-shirt, yellow hoodie, brown fingerless gloves, faded blue jeans that was held up by a brown leather belt, and white boots. This person was known as Murray Murphy or "The Murray" as he would usually refer to himself, arguably one of the strongest youths in Swallow Falls. Especially since his father was a retired heavyweight MMA kickboxer/wrestler.

The vixen had a nicely curvy figure with reddish-brown fur, long blue hair that reached her waist and was tied in a braid, and dark-brown eyes that seemed to be a distant ember at the moment (she also had a tail as fluffy looking as Sly's). She wore a dark-blue long-sleeved shirt, brown jacket with fake fur, brown leather gloves, dark blue jeans, and brown boots. This lovely young lady was known as Carmelita Montoya Fox, straight-A student (though not as smart as Bentley) and gymnastics champion who was the second oldest (and oldest daughter) of six to the sheriff; Alexander Fox, of whom which she inherited a very bad temper at times, but both were generally goo people.

The mouse was the smallest of the seven with a slim body who had pink-colored fur, long fleshy tail, long blonde hair that reached her back, and light-brown eyes. She wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt, light-blue jean jacket, yellow gloves, light blue jeans and black Sketchers. This person was known as Penelope Toutonghi, the second smartest youth in Swallow Falls who also had a thing for RC toys and had a colossal crush on a certain turtle; much to the ire of a certain jealous "twin" cousin.

The marine iguana was as the third tallest and had a physique to lanky that it was as thin as a pencil with purple scales, long hair that was darker purple and reached his shoulder blades, and lime-green eyes. He wore a maroon-colored shirt, flashy neon-green hoodie, equally flashy neon-green pants, and black and white boots. This person was known as Dimitri Lousteau, a jive-talking narcissist who always going on about fashion and was a former bully who changed his ways after something Sly had told to him. He now helps out his grandfather at a local café that specializes in French food, but not the fancy kind like escargot.

The panda appeared to be the tallest over all of the seven with a muscular build like Murray's with the usual black and white fur, short black hair, and dark-brown eyes. He wore a crimson-red shirt and hoodie, red fingerless gloves, dark-blue jeans that were held up by a blue sash, and white Nikes. This bear was known as Peng King, a former bully (like Dimitri) who also changed after a bad encounter with Sly and company. He lived with his sister and aunt, who of which owned a Chinese restaurant that Peng worked.

Though this group of seven seemed like an unlikely bunch of friends there ever was in town, especially since Peng was a member of a gang called the Fiendish Five and Dimitri with the Klaww Gang. It so happened that the fathers of the first four: Connor Cooper, Alexander Fox, Lewis Olsen, and Maximus Murphy were all close best friends growing up. Penelope had known the group all her life since Sly and Murray would protect her from people who made fun of her and bullied her for being smart. Sly and Carmelita had a mutual crush on one another, though Sly was more vocal; both just had trouble finding the right way to say how they truly feel about each other. The four and the two former bullies became true friends soon after a little visit to the Gracie Manor' the most haunted house in Louisiana. Sly even found something peculiar on their way out; a sapphire gem.

The retrievers were both male and female, both had gold brown fur and hair (the boy had short and the girl had long) and dark-brown eyes. Only difference was that the girl was older and had a nice womanly figure, whereas the boy had a simply average build as well as being shorter. The girl wore a black short-sleeved frill blouse, black jacket, brown pants and heeled boots; while the boy wore a green shirt, brown hoodie jacket, light-blue jeans that were held up by a black leather belt, and red hightop Converse. These two were known as Victoria ("Vicky" for short) and David Collins, brother and sister of the Collins family; one of the oldest families who lived in Swallow Falls since it was found. It was also know these two were very close, yet understanding to each other's needs and respected what they other did in privacy.

The lion had a slim yet well-toned build that had light-brown fur with white on the inside of his muzzle (and over his hands), long hazelnut-colored hair (with pink-colored bangs) and goatee, and dark-blue eyes. He wore a Black long-sleeved shirt, grey jacket, black jeans, and dark-grey Vans. This was Harold "Harry" Dion, a young aspiring photographer with Andy, his best friend, and though he could be laid back sort of person, he was generally a nice guy.

The first tigress had a nicely curvaceous figure with purple fur that also had darker purple spots (in the place of orange, black, and white [like Halloween colors]), short wavy raven-black hair, and cold green eyes. She wore a dark-blue shirt, red hoodie jacket, dark-brown pants that were held up by a black leather belt, and black boots. This exotic-looking feline was known only as Neyla Glidewell, a former member of the now broken up band of bullies, the Klaww Gang; the same gang Dimitri was a part of. She was known to be an infamous heart-breaker around Swallow Falls, even though she was only twelve at the time, but had long ceased flirting and bullying after an encounter with Sly.

The toy terrier had a normal built body with pure white fur (black patches over his eyes), short messy raven-black hair, and electric-blue eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved thermal shirt, black jeans that were held up by a brown leather belt, and a pair of black Nikes. This young canine was known as Victor Frankenstein, not the one from Mary Shelley's novel of the same name, but the third smartest youth in Swallow Falls. He was also part of the Science Club with Bentley, of whom which he admired only as a fellow member, but as someone who knows how to use his intelligence the right way.

The second tigress had a body similar to that of a supermodel with the regular fur coloring (orange and white with black stripes), long blonde hair with a black patch on the front of her bangs, and bright green eyes. She wore a grey button up shirt with a green tank top over it, green hoodie jacket, black jeans and red Vans. This little lady was known as Mary Ann Tigress, or just "Mary" to everyone who knew her, especially since she was the most cheerful and optimistic country girl you'd ever meet. She lived on a farm outside Swallow Falls, but aspired to be a supermodel like Ms. Morris use to be and would often ask her for advice and tips. She also had a huge (which was mutual) on a certain feline in her class, which was rivaled by her best friend's crush on him.

The first cat was a male tabby that with a lean build that had dark-brown fur, short brown hair, and light-brown eyes. He wore a forest-green, dark-green hoodie, dark-grey pants, and black Nikes. This person was Peter Ponikvar (notice no one said Parker), son of psychologist Robert Ponikvar and his wife, Celine; he even had an older twin sister named Elizabeth, or "Ezzy" for short. He was known for his overimaginative personality, but was still a good friend.

The badger was somewhat as muscular as Murray with black and white fur in the usual markings all badgers had, short raven-black hair that was neatly trimmed, and Amber-colored eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt, a black vest over the shirt, black hoodie, black baggy cargo pants, and black boots. This person was Roger Williams, captain of the High School Field and Track Club, who was also a good friend of the Cooper Gang and was a student in their Karate and Boxing classes. He was among those who had big dreams for themselves since he dreamed of winning a gold medal in the Olympics.

The duck had an average build with pure white feathers, flat bronze billed beak, short white hair, and dark-brown eyes. He wore a red long-sleeved shirt, green hoodie, brown pants, and brown mountain shoes. This person was known as Carlos Dalton, one of Peter's three best friends who was the most mature of their little group.

The second cat was female with a nice womanly figure that had light-lavender fur, long darker lavender-colored hair that reached below her shoulder blades, and bright violet eyes. She wore a teal-colored long-sleeved shirt, grey hoodie, grey pants and grey lowtop Converse. She was known as Whitney Johnson, a popular girl who was fun to hang out with, had a huge crush on Peter (who had his own secret crush on her) and was a huge fashion fanatic.

The ferret had a slim figure with dark brown fur and lighter patches over his eyes (as well as the inside of his muzzle to his underbelly), short dark-brown hair, and light-brown hair. He wore a long-sleeved light-blue shirt, black jeans that were held up by a black belt, and black Nikes. This person was known as Kel Ferdinand, the send of Peter's four best friends who always had his Nintendo DS with him wherever he went.

The bear was a female who had a slim figure that had light-brown fur, long reddish-brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail, and light hazelnut-colored eyes. She wore a peach-colored long-sleeved shirt, brown pants, and white Nikes. This person was Chelsea Benson, one of the popular girls back at Swallow Falls and though she was one of Whitney's best friends, she couldn't help but feel a little envious. One thing was that she saw Peter and Whitney had a thing, even though she had a crush on Peter, though she claimed she hated him.

The gecko had a lanky build with dark-green scales that had darker green spots, bald head like Murray, and light-blue eyes. He wore a sea-green shirt, black hoodie, light-blue jeans that were held up by a black leather belt, and red Sketchers. This person Sullivan, or "Iggy" as he was called by his sometimes broken speech impediment and little kid behavior. Despite his childish personality, he was an avid Boy Scout and survival expert; he was also the third of Peter's three best friends.

The other vixen had a womanly figure with reddish-orange fur with white on the inside of her muzzle, long red hair, and Amber-colored eyes. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt, white coat, dark-blue jeans, and black heeled boots. This person was know as Cheryl Renard, or "Cherry" as she was colored because of her unique fur coloring, who was a bit of a former feminist, seeing male kind as savages. Granted, she was known to defend the girls in Swallow Falls, but this only made her an unintentional bully to the boys, though Sly was the only one not affected a glare she'd give anyone male. Though as of late, she changed her ways when Sly "spoke his mind" one January and had been nicer to both genders ever since.

The third cat was a male house cat with an average build that had white fur with brown patches (including a patch over his right eye), short wavy brown hair, and light-green eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with purple sleeves, dark-green pants, and black Vans. This person was Andrew Katt, or "Andy" for short, was a shy yet kind guy and a good loyal friend. He was also a member of the Photography Club with his best friend Harry and was one of the best shots in Swallow Falls.

The skunk had a slim figure with white and blue-colored fur in swirl marking around her body, long black hair with white bangs, and jade-green eyes. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt, grey jeans, and black slip-on shoes. This person was known as Swain Jenkins, or "Swirly" as she was called on account of her swirled markings, was a gamer girl and good friend of Sly and company. She and Mary were also best friends and both had rivaled crush on their friend, Andy, though he didn't know.

Finally, the pantheress had a womanly figure that had ebony-black fur, long auburn hair tied into a braided ponytail, and dark cerulean-blue eyes. She wore a red blouse, matching red jacket, light-blue jeans, and black slip-on shoes. This young woman was known as Sheila Morris, the niece of guidance councilor Mikaela Morris, of whom which was living with since her parents were archaeologists and had to work abroad most of the time. This never meant they didn't have time for her, far from it, they kept in touch via video chat to check up on her.

The older pantheress had a very curvaceously-slim figure that was covered from head to toe with ebony-black fur, long snowy-white hair that was tied back into a ponytail, and amber-colored eyes. She wore a white shirt, grey coat, matching grey skirt and black heeled boots. This person was Sheila's loving aunt, Mikaela Morris, the youthful supermodel-turned-guidance councilor after her first job didn't bring her true happiness. She longed to be a mother one day, but has yet to find someone the man to be her significant other.

The koala was of a tall man with a bulky build that had dark-purple fur, short curly purple hair, medium-sized purple beard with a braid on both sides, and Amber-colored eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved button up shirt, with a black tie, black coat, brown slacks that were held up by a brown leather belt, and black leather shoes. This person was known as Mr. Gary Korman, or "Guru" as he was called for his wise personality. As the name suggested, he was more or less the Randy Jackson of the high school, only he was an Australian immigrant of Cherokee descent.

You see, the week before, when the group had gone on a trip to New Thunder Mesa, they had suddenly found themselves in the most desolate ghost towns in the Western part of the United States; Old Thunder Mesa. The even ended up as unintentional guests at the Ravenswood Manor by a not-so-gracious host, the spirit of Henry Ravenswood AKA the Phantom, who kept the spirit of his own daughter Melanie trapped. After many twists and turns, as well as facing down Henry Ravenswood, the group had found an odd-looking contraption that looked like an old-fashion film projector, which was also powered by the gem Sly found. Apparently it was called a summon gem, which was owned by Madame Leota; a mystic friend of the families Gracie and Ravenswood. It in turn gave the whole class communication with a mysterious man named Lord Henry Mystic and his assistant, Albert. They confirmed that the projector could send them back home, but on the condition that they take a tour of his mansion. Within a week that is, they did need time to recover from the predicament they had gone through. They all agreed and just like that, a week had come and gone in a blink of an eye.

"Alright, everyone here?" Guru asked, counting heads. "Good, let's get started."

"Sly, if you would please?" Ms. Morris inquired.

"On it." Sly replied, taking out the Summon Gem from his pocket. "Okay, Lord Mystic, we're here; beam us up!"

With that said, the raccoon opened a slot on the back of the projector, placed the gem in a circular opening, then closed it and flipped a switch to activate it. As the projector came to life, the lens shined a circular light that began to grown until it became a tunnel of light. This was new, but no one argued since they saw a enough to make even a _non-_believer believe. One by one, with Guru in the lead, the class began to walk through the gateway/tunnel, unaware that two figures made it just in time as the gateway closed behind them . . .

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><p>After the light had died down, the group looked around to get a grip on their location, but were met by the sight of dense jungle instead of the woods outside their town. No one said anything, but they didn't need to when they looked to each other . . . which made them all do a double-take; their wardrobe had changed! The guys wore white dress shirts, brown plaid tailcoats, different colored ties that varied on each male (blue for Sly, green for Bentley, magenta for Murray and purple for Guru), brown fedoras (with the exception of Sly with his flat cap), brown slacks that were held up by darker brown belts, and black leather shoes. The girls, however, wore white dress shirts like the guys, but with brown blazers, Ms. Morris seemed to be the only one with black gloves, black long skirts, and black heeled boots. Though many were confused, Mary actually found it exciting, doing a few poses as she admired herself.<p>

"Welcome!"

The group turned to see who was the source of the new voice and were soon greeted by not one, but four individuals: two Yorkshires, a French poodle, and a young monkey; all four of which wore the same thing as the group. The two Yorkies differed in age (one appeared to be in his mid-twenties, while the other his early), but both had a strong physique with wiry brown fur, short wavy brown hair, and dark-green eyes. The poodle appeared to be the same age as the older Yorkie and had a slim figure with light-pink fur (that almost looked white), long curly pink hair, and light-pink eyes. Finally the monkey had a lanky build with dark brown fur, short brown hair, and hazelnut-colored eyes. Another thing about the four was that they had what appeared to be gold rings with different colored gems with the initials "S.E.A." etched on the top.

"You must the group Uncle Henry spoke of." The older Yorkie addressed, then bowed. "Greeting, I am Mark Mystic, this is my brother Denny . . ."

"Hello." Mark greeted.

". . . my lovely wife, Margaret . . . ."

"_Bonjour_." Margaret smiled.

". . . and Arthur, he's Albert's younger brother."

"Hi, everybody!" Arthur said in a similar manner as his brother, which made everyone smile.

"My, what a greeting this is." Guru stated, then went on the introduction, then as he got to his raccoon student . . .

"Wait, many apologies, but did you say this person was a Cooper?" Denny questioned, now in front of mentioned Cooper.

"Is . . . that a bad thing?" Sly asked, sweating a bit.

"Well, I should hope not." An all-too-familiar voice scoffed.

Everyone turned to see who had said that and were met by a shocking surprise in the form of an elderly raccoon and a polar bear that seemed to be the same age as Ms. Morris. The polar bear had a nicely muscled build with snowy-white fur, short snow-white hair, and dark icy-blue eyes. He wore the same thing as the guys, only with a white tie, whereas the raccoon wore a white shirt, brown aviator jacket, brown aviator's hat with goggles, brown gloves, baggy brown pants, and brown boots. The raccoon himself appeared to be an elderly version of Sly, only with greying fur/hair and faded coloring in the eyes. These two were known as Otto Cooper and Jonathan Richardson; one was the grandfather of a certain younger raccoon, while the other was the principal of the high school. Seeing these two here was certainly a surprise, yes they both looked like they could fend for themselves (despite Otto's age, he was capable of kicking major butt), but it didn't help that they appeared out of the blue.

"Grandpa?" Sly went off.

"Mr. Richardson?" Guru and Ms. Morris questioned in unison.

"What are you doing here?!" The three simultaneously exclaimed.

"Got a call from a few parents about a "school trip" after the field trip." Mr. Richardson remarked suspiciously, causing the two chaperons to grin sheepishly.

"I was walking through the woods and came by on accident." Otto shrugged. "Coincidentally enough, I bumped into Johnathan here and we decided to follow you."

"Not the one to turn down an adventure, eh Gramps?" Sly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Nothing ventured . . ."

"Nothing gained."

"I don't believe it . . ." Mark said incredulously, causing everyone to look at him. "Otto Cooper and Johnathan Richardson, my brother and I are huge admirers of you two."

"Two have two legends here is like a dream come true!" Denny exclaimed excitedly.

"Wait, legends?" Dimitri questioned.

"That would mean . . ." Andy started.

His answer came in the form of the two showing that they had the same type of rings as the four, meaning they were involved with whatever club it was.

"Ah, as lush as every time I visit." Mr. Richardson mused, admiring the jungle around him. "Maybe I should vacation here one of these days."

"Excuse me, Mr. Richardson, but where exactly in _here_ anyway?" Swain asked curiously.

"Geographically, we're in Papua New Guinea." Otto simply stated.

"Okay, pardon my French, but . . . Papua New Guinea!?" Penelope shouted incredulously. "What . . . how . . . is it possible . . ?"

"We'd be glad to explain, but we have a tight schedule." Margaret informed. "This way, _S'il vout plait_ (please)."

And so, though everyone had an endless supply of questions, they followed the four along a path that almost seemed like a small road. They went on for a few minuets in silence, mostly because all but six were still trying to process their sudden transcontinental travel that took only five minuets. It wasn't long when the four stopped in front of what appeared to be a clearing, prompting everyone else to do the same.

"And now . . ." Mark started

" . . . we cordially . . ." Margaret added.

". . . and sincerely . . ." Denny continued.

". . . without any further ado . . ." Arthur finished.

"Welcome to Mystic Point!" The four said simultaneously, then presented quite a sight.

The group were in awe by what they were looking at, it appeared to be a good sized community that looked as though it belonged in Victorian England. There were suburban houses to the east, a district flowing with business and shops to the west, what appeared to be a depot and a garden at the entrance, and in the north was what everyone knew since they had a promise to keep. Along the riverbank was a Victorian-style mansion that boasted greatness and sophistication as well as being much older than what was around it; the Mystic Manor.


	3. The Enchanted Mansion

Chapter Two: The Enchanted Mansion

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><p>It was an eventful day indeed as the group approached the entrance to Mystic Point, which was a large red, cast-iron gate; if this were a tourist attraction, the owner could've made billions. It was quite a sight to behold, everyone around them wore the same thing the group wore and the community itself was confirmed: Victorian-Era. As the group walked around, they were taken to many amazing areas. The first was the <strong><em>Garden of Wonders<em>**, which was filled with many exotic flora that Bentley felt he was going to pass out, least his parents were present or they'd have a heart attack from being excited. Another wonder in this garden was that there were giant magnifying glasses spread over the layout, which showed much more wonders such as three obelisks of a single sphinx becoming one giant slab. The third was the **_Freight Depot_** where Mark himself introduced a person from a foreign country like Egypt, Peru, Ecuador, and many more. Despite much of this being educational, everyone was was enjoying themselves, stopping for a quick snack of frozen lollipops. The name said it all, though they were only pop-sickles in the shapes of lollipops, in an assortment of flavors, they were also on the house since the cart's vendor, Mr. Allwine, was good friends with Lord Mystic. Another stop was the **_Archive Shop_**, which was more of a gift shop, but it was filled with many items from T-shirts to postcards.

"It's official, this place rocks!" Peter exclaimed excitedly.

"I hear that." Carlos chimed, giving his friend a high-five.

"Makes me wish we came here sooner." Swirly added.

"You said it, girlfriend." Mary said, bumping hips with the skunk.

"To think, we'd be home watching a documentary like this." Vicky considered.

"No way, this is _way_ better than something on TV." David said excitedly.

The adults couldn't help but smile at the students' enthusiasm, but even Guru and Ms. Morris had to admit the trip was to a satisfying level.

"They're absolutely right, this trip is amazing." Guru commented.

"And this scenery is so beautiful." Ms. Morris said with admiration.

"It really is, among other things." Mr. Richardson replied, giving the pantheress a smile.

"Wait till you see Mystic Manor." Otto chuckled nostalgically.

"You know about that place?" Sly questioned, confusingly.

"You'll see."

After a few minuets of walking around and admiring the sights and sounds as well as buying a few things they bought at the Archive Shop as souvenirs to bring back home, the group had finally made it to they promised destination.

"Last stop, behold; Mystic Manor." Mark announced.

"Uncle Henry and Albert already know you're here." Denny informed.

"We do hope that you have a _fantastique_ time." Margaret said with a smile.

"_Nous allons_ (We will)." Dimitri and Cherry replied in French.

"Excellent, we'll be waiting in the foyer for your return." Arthur said, the stepped aside with a welcoming gesture. "Enjoy."

"The Murray always enjoys himself on trips!" Murray announced, causing everyone to chuckle at his action.

"Come on, big guy, let's see what's inside." Sly said, pulling the hippo.

Taking their first close-up look at the manor for first time since arrival (excluding two apparently) and couldn't help but stare awestruck at the Victorian-style mansion. Unlike the other mansions the class have been to, this was by far the _only_ one that seemed as pleasant as it was old; complete with a plaque that said "Mystic Manor" on the front gate. Everyone was surprised to see the front gate closed and as sign that directed to the side of the mansion and for anyone around to enter through the back.

"Another way to enter a mansion." Roger remarked.

"I'll say." Neyla added.

Rounding around to the left side of the mansion, the group saw a couple of Indian statues of elephants and a Hanuman near a room that was labeled "Loading Dock"; mostly likely Lord Mystic had his mail delivered by the river.

* * *

><p>Walking into the parlor, the group admired how everything had its own vintage charm as the outside and the community, on a wall was a plaque which read"<p>

_**Welcome to **_

_**MYSTIC MANOR**_

_**We sincerely hope assemblage of precious cultural**_

_**artifacts gathered from around the globe for your viewing pleasure.**_

_**Lord Henry Mystic**_

There were also other other thing in the room, especially a a couple of portraits that had Lord Mystic and Albert at the Grand Opening of Mystic Point and one where they were with a group of people standing in a room with a banner:

_**Society of**_

_**EXPLORERS and ADVENTURERS**_

_**1899**_

The people in the portrait were of various species and clothing: sitting on a chair was an elderly Yorkshire terrier that had wiry graying-brown fur, short grey hair, long handlebar mustache, and dark-brown eyes. He wore a white dress shirt with a red bowtie, brown blazer,red fez had with a gold tassel, brown slacks, and black and white leather shoes. Standing next to the canine was a young primate that appeared to be an older Arthur and wore similar clothing to the Yorkie. These two were known other that Lord Henry Mystic himself, along with his young apprentice and traveling companion as well as Arthur's older brother, Albert. The rest in the portrait was a middle-aged stallion holding note paper and wearing clothes similar to Indiana Jones, female otter who had a cane in both hands and wore the same thing as the ladies (only with a captain's hat), a penguin wearing a sledder's jacket (as well as gloves and boots), a kangaroo and wombat who both wore old-fashion business attire, and a raccoon who wore an aviator's outfit. But the one person that got everyone's attention was an elderly gorilla who had a powerful build with ebony-black fur, grey hair that connected to his grey beard and was balding on the top, grey mustache, and dark-green eyes. He wore similar clothing to Lord Mystic, yet he wore an ascot instead of a bowtie and his blazer was more of a fancy robe.

"Say, that raccoon looks like . . ." Carmelita stated, then looked to the older raccoon. "But . . . but . . . how . . ?"

"You'll see." Otto chuckled.

Before anyone else could say another word, the group decided to make their way down the hall, which had paintings of Lord Mystic and Albert and a glass case that held a miniature model of Mystic Point. They then entered another room that had another glass casing, only this one held many exotic looking treasures (including an Asian fan, a Viking helmet and an Egyptian headdress), which made Mary drool up a river. On the walls was a map of Papua New Guinea and more portraits: one of the captain lady, one of the businessmen (that suspiciously looked like Elton John), one of the younger Otto, one of the second businessman, one of the Indiana Jones-looking man, and one (much to everyone's chagrin) of the Gorilla. After seeing more portraits of Lord Mystic and Albert's expeditions, the group found themselves in front of an entry of double doors.

Entering the doors, the group found yet another hallway, only this one had portraits of old instruments and such, plus another plaque:

_**Highlights of the Mystic Manor Collection of Musical Instruments,**_

_**The care and craftsmanship evident in these instruments convey the**_

_**Importance that music plays in cultures throughout the world.**_

_**The creativeness of music elevates and inspires us all.**_

Truer words couldn't have been said by anyone less or more wiser, it certainly gave Sly inspiration in his penmanship and writing skills. At the end of the hall was another pair of opened doors to a small room with brown walls, reminding everyone of the two previous mansions (only without the creepyness), allowing everyone to pile in.

* * *

><p>Inside the room revealed to be a small projection screen and as soon as everyone was inside and accounted for, the doors suddenly slid shut and the lights went out. Everyone (save a certain duo) was worried at first, half expecting to hear lightning and see a dangling corpse, but was relinquished when the sound of a projector was heard. Everyone turned their attention to the projection screen, which now showed the intertwining initials "MM" at the same time an all-too-familiar voice was heard:<p>

"_Hello? Can you hear me out there from far back in the projection room? Ah, welcome to Mystic Manor!_"

The slide changed to a black and white card with mentioned mansion on it.

"Makes me wish I had popcorn." Harry whispered.

"Me too." Andy agreed

"Ditto." Kel put in.

"Sh, he's talking." Whitney hushed.

"_Home to a world-class collection of art and antiquities, and my personal residence. As you all know, I am Lord Henry Mystic and the young fellow by my side is Albert, my travel companion, apprentice, confidante, and . ._ ."

The slide changed to the familiar matriarch of the mansion, with his apprentice/travel companion by his side. Much to everyone's surprise, Albert appeared out of a hidden compartment soon as he hear his name and smiled at the group.

"Where'd he come from?" Chelsea questioned, though no one answered

"Neat trick." Iggy complimented.

"Hi, everybody, it's good to see you . . ?" Albert tracked off soon as he saw a certain duo. "No way . . . Otto Cooper . . . and Johnathan Richardson . . . here?"

"You know these two?" Peng questioned.

"Of course, these two are legends in the S.E.A.!"

This was a bombshell to the group, Sly's grandfather and their principal were members of the S.E.A.? Why didn't they say anything before? Then again, no one bothered asking what they did as hobbies; besides Otto Cooper making the scariest haunted houses every Halloween.

"_Yes, quite the excitable and rather mischievous young fellow, isn't he? Now run along, shoo! Shoo!_"

"Catch you guys later!" Albert said, then dove back into the compartment.

Soon as the primate was gone, the slides changed to his and his master's many traveling expeditions, one of which had someone's shadow with a monocle, obviously Lord Mystic,

"_Well, the Civil years now, Albert and I have traveled the world; in search of rare artifacts for you to enjoy as you tour our home in our home of Mystic Manor._"

"Now I know how my parents feel." Sheila commented.

More slides of Lord Mystic and Albert in rooms filled with many artifacts and instruments that decorated the walls.

"_These are just a few of our treasures._"

The slides then changed to a room filled with chests, a suit of Feudal Samurai armor, and what appeared to be a . . . music box? Lord Mystic used his monocle to magnify the images, including the ruby atop the lid, around the music box as he spoke.

"_And here's our latest acquisition, an ancient music box. Legend has it that this charming music box has the power to bring inanimate object to life with a touch of its enchanting music._"

"Interesting legend." Victor observed.

"_Superstition and nonsense! Oh my, where we shall see when we open it, won't we?_"

As Lord Mystic spoke, Albert reappeared and instantly became entranced by the sight of the ruby as he reached for it.

"_Albert!_"

"Huh, what, what happened?" Albert asked, snapping out of his trance and gaining a few chuckles and giggles from the group. "I went into one of my gem crazes, didn't I?"

"_Silly fellow can't keep his hands off that music box! Yes, it intrigues you, doesn't it, I promise we'll examine it later. Now shoo! Shoo!_"

Soon as Albert vanished, the slide changed back to Mystic manor, at first upside down as everyone let out small laughs, then right side up.

"_Now, where was I, oh yes! Welcome, one and all, to Mystic Manor! Now where is that young primate, he's always getting into trouble!_"

It was then that the screen went blank, but everyone was given yet another surprise when they saw Albert's shadow on the screen, making shadow-puppets as he did so. Everyone couldn't help but let out loud laughs as they saw this. Almost as if he took a bad step, Albert tripped and must've knocked over the projector as there was the sound of a light bulb breaking, plus the screen went blank and the light came back on. As the room lit up, another opening appeared, prompting the group to move on, though they were very much concerned with the primate's well-being.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Mr. Richardson reassured as the ushered everyone to the corridor, but cast a worried look at the screen before following the group.

* * *

><p>As everyone walked down the corridor, they found themselves to be in what appeared to be a loading dock with a large poster on the far wall that showed a sort of carriage entitled "MYSTIC MAGNO Electronic Carriage". This poster showed a horse-less drawn carriage with two bench seats, meaning each could carry four people in a single car. It was then that everyone stood in the loading area as seven of the electronic carriages rolled in front of them. Needing no other invitation, everyone got into groups of four and climbed into a carriage:<p>

1. Sly, Carmelita, Bentley and Penelope

2. Otto, Guru, Mr. Richardson and Ms. Morris

3. Murray, Peng, Dimitri and Roger

4. Peter, Carlos, Kel and Iggy

5. Neyla, Cherry, Mary and Swirly

6. Victoria, David, Victor, and Andy

7. Sheila, Chelsea, Whitney, and Cherry

"Interesting, this design is unique for Victorian era." Bentley observed, admiring the cars.

"I concur." Penelope agreed.

Soon as everyone was seated and strapped in, the carriages came to life and like a small caravan, began to move forward towards a pair of freight doors with the word "Acquisitions and Cataloging Room" in front. Almost as automated as the carriages, opened as everyone found themselves in a room filled with an assortment of what was obviously much of Lord Mystic's treasures. Among the treasure was a suit of armor, a marble bust head, and a jade statue of a Chinese dragon. It was then that who other but Lord Mystic himself appeared as he opened a window and popped his head out.

"Hello there, I was just looking for . . ." Lord Mystic went on to explain, but stopped. "Ah, here's the music box I told you about."

True to his word, there, in the middle of the treasures, was a golden rectangular object with a ruby gem atop the lid; it was a treasures worth a thousand words indeed.

"Now, let's find our little friend."

This meant he was looking for Albert, but as soon as the Yorkie vanished, mention primate's popped up from behind the music box and made a hush motion to the group as he looked between the window and the music box. Like back in the projection room, he look as though he were in a trance, seeing nothing else but the ruby. Soon as he was an inch away, the sound of someone clearing their thought snapped him back into reality. The someone turned out to Otto who had his arms crossed and looked at the primate with a stern expression, which was followed up by everyone else.

"What, it's not like I was going to take it or anything." Albert said offhandedly, but after one bad step, tripped a bit and brushed against the nearest object. "Oops!"

Everyone around gasped and went wide-eyed, the primate's action caused the music box to open! Though nothing happened at first, the lights suddenly went out and something began to echo through the room. It was music! It low, yet it was beautiful and soothing, almost as if it were a lullaby sung by a loving mother-figure. It was also at that moment that sparkling, blue dust came out of the music box and began to fly all over the room; illuminated everything in its path. The group and Albert became entranced by the sight of this, it was so beautiful words couldn't describe it.

"Wow." Albert breathed.

It was no later after he said that the room began to low green and the strangest (as far as everyone else has seen) thing happened . . . everything started to Move! Almost as if they were living creatures; the legends were true! Everyone watched on, but the carriages began to move away at the last minuet as the group was taken into what appeared to be a music room that was filled with instruments; familiar and exotic alike. A harp and grand piano were even set in the middle of the room. Without warning, the magic dust appeared in the room and immediately began to spread all over the instruments. After a few minuets, the dust dissipated without leaving a trace of its existence, but what happened next was to be expected; every instrument around began to play on its own accord. It wasn't bad music though, far from it, it was a little catchy even as Albert appeared.

"Swinging." Sly jokingly remarked, earning him a nudge from Carmelita.

"Hey, not bad!" Albert said, doing a goofy jig.

Everyone giggled and chuckled at this, almost forgetting about the magic dust and living objects as the music continued in the background; almost. As their "caravan" continued on its way, everyone found themselves in a room that was filled with Mediterranean portraits and ceramics. One portrait that got everyone's attention was that of four people around a table with a volcano in the background and the headline entitled "Pompeii". It was then that the volcano began to erupt and lava rushed down the mountainside like an avalanche.

"That lava really starting to pour down." Whitney observed.

"I'm sure those guys will be fine." Harry assured nonchalantly.

Soon as that was said the people in the picture were swept away by a wave of lava, but still raise a toast to each other as the lava leaked out of the portrait.

"Or maybe not." Carlos bluntly corrected.

As they moved on, the group saw a spinning amphora jar with the hero Hercules facing against what appeared to be the Nemean Lion. And they say paying attention in History class was boring. Hercules jumped out of the way of the lion and straight out of the top. The group then came face to face with a portrait of a beautiful female wolf . . . which turned into a gorgon with red-glowing eyes and hair full of hissing snakes! After a moment, the portrait returned back to normal, but the effect of shock didn't wear off of the group.

"_Deja vu_." Carmelita mumbled.

"You said it." Penelope nodded.

The carriages continued on as they passed a sign that read "Solarium" and soon saw Albert once more, only this time he was in the midst of battling Venus fly traps . . . with a banana.

"Back, back you savages!" The primate shouted, gaining him many face-palms and giggles.

"Smooth." Roger said sarcastically.

"Very smooth." Neyla remarked.

It was at the same time that an overly large fly trap took notice of the group and snapped its jaws to take a bite out of them, thankfully it was out of reach. It was then that the lights went out and the room filled with thunder and lightning envelop the walls around the group. The carriages moved forward to a source of light as the group found themselves passing by as sign that read "Slavic-Nordic Chamber". The portrait of a woman picking apples from a tree came into view, when a group s of clouds formed a face over head, then began to blow a freezing cold wind; covering everything in ice and snow. Like an infectious disease, the frost began to cover the whole room till it reached a mirror on the far wall, causing the glass to crack so much that it look like it was going to shatter.

"Talk about cold-hearted." Murray shivered.

"Wish I brought m-m-my p-p-parka!" Andy said through shivering teeth.

"As do I." Cherry agreed, holding her arms close for warmth.

It was no later when they said that as the cold suddenly died down and the group passed by yet another sign, only this one read "Arms & Armour"; which could only mean one thing. All around the group found themselves in a room full of weapons that came to like, including the suits of armor. As the carriages rolled by, the group saw a suit of Samurai armor wielding a Katana

"Talk about a close shave." David commented.

"Emphases on close." Vicky agreed.

Thinking quickly, the primate reached for the nearest thing he could use to defend himself, which was a silver French Rapier sword. Standing up, the primate took a Fencing stance with his sword hand in front and his free hand on his hip.

"_Engarde_!" Albert challenged as he engaged the armor in combat. "Be with you guys in a minuet!"

"Can't get that from Kurosawa." Victor remarked.

"Got that right." Swirly nodded.

"Yep." Iggy added.

The next thing the group knew, they were facing a cannon, which shot at the carriages and caused everyone to fly back away from the carnage going on. Soon as everyone got their bearings, they were met by a trio sets of suits of armor that were once worn by Medieval European knights. What really got them was when they realized the disembodied helmets were singing a song, but only heard a small portion since they were recovering from the cannon fire. Even though it was only one verse, everyone had to admit, it was quite the catchy tune.

Helmets: _**If you go out fighting,**_

_**Somebody's got to pay!**_

"Now I know what was missing." Chelsea said, unfazed by the singing.

"Me too." Mary agreed.

The carriages turned to a corner, only to come face to face with a large crossbow, which loaded itself, the aimed straight at the group! Almost as if the carriages read their mind, the group found their caravan making a swift retreat, then sped toward a distant just as the enlarged crossbow fired. The sign for the room the group approached read as quote "Egyptian Antiquities" as their carriages moved by an ancient sarcophagus. The coffin of question began to glow a bright-unearthly green as swarms of scarabs suddenly appeared out of the large coffin and the face turned from passive to horror. Everyone huddled into the cars as the swarming beetles began to crawl all over the room until they had everything covered, including the lights from overhead. As everyone rode through the darkness, they could swear that they could feel the scarabs crawling around as much as they heard their clicking and chirping.

"Really hate bugs." Sheila squeaked fearfully.

"Interesting these look like _Scarabus_ _Salivus_." Bentley observed. "In other words, they're Spitting Scarabs."

"Um, spitting?" Guru questioned with wide eyes.

It was after he said that was when everyone a very brief shower of what was, for a fact, _not_ rain . . . As they approached another room, the light shown over the group, revealing they were slightly damp. If there was one thing for certain, everyone looked about the opposite of amused, in fact, they looked very displeased and annoyed.

"Thanks for the . . . . _history_ lesson, Bentley . . ." Carmelita grumbled with gritted teeth.

"Say it, don't spray it, buggies!" Dimitri shouted, trying to shake off the disgusting liquid.

As everyone was recovering from their disgusting encounter, their carriages pulled them out of the darkness and past a sign that read "Tribal Arts", one of which was a massive Tiki. What really got their attention was that there was molten lava, which made the whole room feel as though it were a sauna; thankfully their clothing was insulated. Not only that, but a couple of totem poles came to life as they glared at the group and gave out foreboding chants.

"What're you looking at?!" Carmelita snarled, causing the totems cease their chanting and shrink away.

Continuing on, the carriages came to a sudden halt as four statue of tribal gods spun around and shot darts past the group, causing them to turn and gasp. There, now pinned to the wall on the opposite side of the room, was Albert!

"Not good, definitely not good!" Albert exclaimed fearfully.

Before anyone could do a thing to help the unfortunate primate, the carriages made their way forward and the group caught sight of a sign that read "Chinese Salon". No one said a word, fearing they may offend Peng, who (along with everyone else) was entranced by how authentic everything looked. On the walls were Chinese paintings of panda, Koi fish, and many more as well as a bronze statue in the middle of the room. It was a monkey in clothing one would only wear if their were in Wu Xia Kung Fu movies and was holding a long Bo staff. This statue was based on none other than the mischievous Monkey King himself, Sun Wukong.

"Friend of yours?" Murray questioned to the panda next to him.

"Never saw him before." Peng replied simply.

It was also at that moment that the statue came to life, looked around, then tapped his staff a few times on the pedestal were he stood. With each tap he did, a tornado-like turbulence began to sweep around the room as the carriages circled the statue. The room began to spin, causing all the paintings in the salon to break apart. Though it was a surprise, it was certainly unfortunate that Albert appeared, because as soon as the statue saw him, it sent a wind to blast away a good portion of the wall; revealing the dusk sky.

"Auntie Em, Auntie Em; IT'S A TWISTER!" Albert shouted as he was swept away from the manor.

"Thank you, Dorothy!" Penelope sarcastically called.

The primate was able to back to the manor, via a large harp that was also swept away with the wind and soon everyone saw the one thing to stop all this madness; the music box! The lid was still wide open, which explained why every inanimate object around was still coming to life. It was then that the same idea popped into everyone's head, it was painfully obvious as fish out of water (or something like that); if the music box closes, the magic would stop! After jump after terrifying and heart-stopping jump, the primate finally had the enchanted music box in his hands . . . only for a stray sword to knock it away!

"Dang it!" Albert cursed, then hopped onto the same carriage as Sly, Carmelita, Bentley, and Penelope. "Follow that acquisition!"

No one needed to be told twice, not that they even had a choice since the electronic carriages were moving on their own, as the group found themselves back in the Cataloging Room. It was a relief to see the music box landed back where it was before everything went out of hand and that the magic dust was starting to go back into the lid. Albert, after jumping off the carriage he was on, landed behind the box and slammed it shut, which did the trick; soon as the lid was shut, all the loose magic went back to where it came from and the artifacts went back to sleep. Albert and the group let out a large collective, and utterly rejuvenating, sigh that it was all over. As Albert leaned against the crate, the familiar face of the mansion's matriarch popped his head out the window.

"Albert, there you are!" Lord Mystic said.

"Here I am, sir." Albert panted back.

"You didn't touch that music box, did you?"

"Who, me, never."

"Well, you know, the legend might be true." Lord Mystic stated teasingly.

"That would be a tragedy!" Albert said sarcastically.

"Well at any rate, I do hope you all enjoyed your visit to Mystic Manor! Soon as you all are safely off the Mystic Magnos, the foyer is just down the corridor to the left. I will be with you all shortly. Oh, by the way Albert, get yourself cleaned up, you look like you've been through a hurricane."

True to his word, Albert's shirt was wrinkled, his hair was messed up, and his pants looked as though they were about to puff into smoke at any minuet. l

"See you all at the foyer." Albert said with a slur as he wobbled away from the group.

It was then that the carriages made their way back to the loading area and as soon as they came to a complete stop, everyone was free to get off and stretch their limbs.

"Well, that was certainly an experience." Ms. Morris said optimistically.

"Brings back some memories actually." Otto mused, reminiscing a bit.

"But there were things that weren't so pleasant." Mr. Richardson stated, raising his left hand. "And I think it's obvious what we need to do."

"And that would be?" Guru inquired, though he had a good idea of what.

"Easy, we put it to a vote that we leave this one trip behind us, especially the . . . Spitting Scarabs . . . Now then, when I raise my left hand, we agree never to speak of this again. If I raise my right hand, well, you all ready know. Now then, all in favor?"

"AYE!" Everyone sounded off with their left hands raised.

"All oppose." Mr. Richardson , raising his right hand this time. "Good, let's move on shall we?"

* * *

><p>The group now found themselves back in the foyer to see Lord Mystic, Mark, Margaret, Denny and Arthur were awaiting for their arrival. It was at that moment that Otto and Mr. Richardson did the most surprising thing; they walked up to the elderly Yorkie and gave him a hug. Everyone became even more confused when the three shared a jolly laugh, almost as if they were old friends having a reunion.<p>

"Otto, Jonathan, it's good to see a couple of old faces!" Lord Mystic said with a smile.

"Hope you're not talking about my age!" Otto laughed, patting the Yorkie on the shoulder.

"To be fair, I am the youngest out of the three of us." Mr. Richardson remarked, causing the three to laugh once more.

"Excuse, but, but do you three mind telling us what the heck is GOING ON?!" Ms. Morris demanded in a voice no one thought she'd ever use.

"Gladly, you see, I happen to be a senior member of the S.E.A." Otto proclaimed proudly.

"Me too, in fact, I was Lord Mystic's apprentice before Albert." Mr. Richardson explained.

"Wait, Gramps, you've been a member of the S.E.A. this whole time?" Sly questioned incredulously. "Why didn't either of you two say anything?!"

"You never asked." Otto, Mr. Richardson Lord Mystic said simultaneously, which had everyone stare at the three with accusing looks.

"Seriously?" David questioned.

"How does one learn something if they don't ask questions?" Otto replied nostalgically, causing everyone to lose their accusational stares.

"That . . . is actually a very solid point." Bentley sighed.

"But the portrait you and Lord Mystic were in said 1899." Swirly sated, remembering what they saw earlier.

"_Oui_, how is that even possibly?" Cherry questioned.

"All in good time, my dear." Lord Mystic said reassuringly. "All questions will be answered in good time"

"Now then, before we start, Lord Mystic, my brother-" Arthur began to say, until . . .

"Is here!" Albert panted exhaustively, appearing out of nowhere as he usually did. "Let's start."

"Wait, start what, exactly?" Andy asked confusingly.

"Your initiation, of course." Mark replied.

"Initiation for what?" Penelope questioned.

"Into the Society." Margaret went on to say.

"Wait, you want us to join The S.E.A.?" Peter questioned incredulously.

"Exactly, you've all been on one heck of a trip to the Ravenswood Manor." Denny reminded.

"This doesn't mean you won't have personal lives or be forced to work jobs you don't like." Albert said reassuringly.

"It just means you'll all be in one big club." Arthur continued. "One that goes global."

"Plus, since we vouch for you, you all have special VIP status." Mr. Richardson added, then looked to Ms. Morris. "It would mean a lot if you all accepted."

"But if you all decline, we'll understand." Otto smiled. "It is your choice to make after all."

Everyone stood in complete silence by this, it was all so very much to take in and it didn't help that the two people they thought they knew actually had hidden lives. Not only that, they actually wanted them to join a secret band of adventurers as well! Sure, some of the group were cowards mostly and some even tried to look tough, but everyone present had the same thing in common, young and old; they all had an unquenchable thirst for adventure. It was assured that they could live normal lives whenever they weren't out on adventures and it was actually a step upwards to Sly and his friends. After a brief discussion, everyone came to a decision; they would, definitely and without a doubt, accept the initiation.

"Good, Mark, instructions if you please." Lord Mystic requested.

"Left hand raised and right hand over your heart, please." Mark instructed, having everyone in the room to do so.

"I, (your name) do solemnly swear to uphold and abide by the rules and guidelines of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, as well as keep the existence and all its secrets confidential. I also swear to look after my fellow members as I would myself and make sure they are in as much safety as myself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

It was during this speech that the group did as instructed as they repeated what the Yorkie said, excluding the part with the names (especially since only David and Vicky were related), and were given the same type of rings as the eight before the.

"Splendid, welcome to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers!" Lord Mystic announced excitedly and happily. "May every day for you be your own personal adventure!"

After this was said, everyone cheered and began to chat among themselves as Sly walked up to his grandfather; both sharing a tight bear-hug.

"So, is my dad a member?" Sly asked his grandfather.

"He is, it's actually an older Cooper Family traditions aside from being thieves." Otto replied, petting his grandson on the shoulder. "But let's not tell him about this just yet."

"Think of it as a surprise you can give to him on his next birthday." Mr. Richardson said, winking at the young raccoon.

"And now, to the Adventurer's Club Restaurant!" Lord Mystic stated as he lead the group. "Their menu has an assortment of international cuisine; you'll just love it."

"Oh, The Murray knows he will . . ." Murray drooled as he fantasized about what the restaurant had to offer.

"Come on, Mr. Disposal." Bentley said, pulling his hippo friend.

It was such an eventful day indeed, the group found a way to transport to a distant land (plus distinct time), were treated to a tour of a truly "mystical community", got some souvenirs to take home, were accepted into a club where adventure is life, now they were going to dine at a multinational cuisine restaurant. The feast went rather fast, but not before Sly was asked to sing a little song that happened to be his grandfather's favorite. Before they knew it, the time to go home was upon them and soon found themselves in their respective houses. Even as they all laid their heads down to sleep, their dreams were filled with many adventures they'd wish to take one day . . . But hey . . . Adventures only start as dreams, until the individual makes it a dream come true.


	4. Bonus: Mystic Song from the Heart

**Disclaimer: I had an idea like this stuck in my head for a good long time, hope no one minds the story being short. Fly Me to the Moon is not my property; enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Bonus Chapter: Mystic Song from the Heart<p>

* * *

><p>It was evening in the small community of Mystic Point and our heroes were still having lunch at the Explorers's Club Restaurant, admiring the many cultures it had. Peng was astounded by the China section, where Dimitri and Cherry where in awe in the France section; everyone fell in love by the divercity and international appeal the restaurant had. Everyone, however, found themselves at the head table with Lord Mystic and his apprentices, who also insisted the meal was on him; it was a surprise, yet no one questioned good fortune. The mood was even better as there was a band and a harp player; they even played Jazz! The menu was filled with appetizers, entrees and desserts of many cultures that it was vastly difficult to choose, one thing that was certainly an understatement was that Murray was in Heaven. After finishing their meals and decided to take desserts home with them, nearly time for the group to head home, but an idea popped into Otto's head that would pass the time as everyone waited for their desserts to arrive.<p>

After speaking with Sly and Lord Mystic, though the young raccoon was surprised at first, the three agreed that it would be a good way to pass the time. Speaking with a waiter, Sly walked up to the stage and after conversing with the manager, the music stopped. Everyone around, including the head table, looked to the stage as the manage called for attention. The manager went on to say that there was a special guest singing a special song, then introduced Sly as everyone applauded for the raccoon.

"I dedicate this song to my friends and Family, because we'd normally have our heads above the clouds." Sly joked, gaining many laughs. "Move over Sinatra, here's Cooper!"

Everyone around cheered as the lights died down, allowing the ceiling to glow stars like the night sky, with the band starting to pick up a catchy tune.

Sly:_ **Fly Me to the Moon**_

_**Let me play among the star**_

_**Let me see what Spring is like**_

_**On Jupiter and Mars**_

_**In other words, hold my hand**_

_**In other words, baby kiss me**_

_**Fill my heart with song**_

_**And let me sing forever more**_

_**You are all I long for**_

_**All I worship and adore**_

_**In other words, please be true**_

_**In other words, I love you!**_

The raccoon was met by another round of applause as the band played the instrumental verse of the song

Sly:_** Fill my heart with song**_

_**Let me sing forever more**_

_**You are all I long for**_

_**All I worship and adore**_

_**In other words, please be true!**_

The band began to play with more power as the raccoon's passion began to grow wit the song.

Sly: _**In other words,**_

_**In other words,**_

_**I**_

_**Love . . .**_

The band began to play softer as the piano player did a small solo and on his sixth key . . .

Sly: _**You!**_

With that part sung, the performance was over as the audience applauded the raccoon and band for their spectacular performance; singing and instrument playing alike. After taking a few bows, Sly rejoined his friends at their table and accepting the many compliments and cheers from them. Otto spoke with pride on how well his grandson's voice was so natural, if only he knew that Sly, Bentley, Murray and Carmelita had a lot of "practice". The vixen of which couldn't help but blush and give the raccoon a longing smile as she knew that the point he did during the finale of his performance, was in her direction . . .


	5. New Stories

Epilogue: New Stories

* * *

><p>As with the rest of his many misadventures, Sly typed away in front of his computer to document his experiences; almost as if it were natural. Clicking the print icon after finishing up the last touches, he took a glance at the many treasures he's come into possession of: an old map, a pair of canes, a sapphire gem, an odd looking projector, an old journal, and the newest addition to the collection; his membership ring to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. It was funny really, he never knew the principal of his school, let alone his own <em>grandfather<em>, were members of this secret gentleman's (and women's of course) club. Then again, in their defense, he (and basically everyone else) never even _asked_. Bentley and Murray even received a surprise in the mail earlier, a pith helmet and a fez withe the insignia of the S.E.A. in the front. Only three things remained for him to do if the story were to be complete: 1.) stack the pages nicely and neatly; 2.) staple them together; 3.) most importantly of all, give it a title that fit its description. The Mystic Manor.

"Mystical." Sly smirked, then picked up his phone soon as he heard the ringtone go off. "Hey Murray, be right there."

Should he ever decide to publish this as a novel, he'd have to run it by his grandfather, Principal Richardson, and lord Mystic; it was based on _his_ mansion after all. Placing the phone his in his pocket and the story away, Sly made his way down the stairs and out the door. If there was one bowl of noodle soup the raccoon the raccoon loved most off all, it was ramen. Good thing there was a shop near Murphy's Sporting Goods.

* * *

><p><strong>With this said and done, another one of Sly and friends' adventures into the unknown has come to a close, but that doesn't mean I'm done with them just yet! Far from it. Their adventures has only just begun. This is one road that will not be crossed, for as long as it goes, there will be an occasional stop for an adventure. Any holiday, any time. For those who followed along, this not so much, beaten path. I sincerely hope that it was to everyone's approval and again I apologize for the hiatus on Tower of Terror, but trust me when I say, it's gonna be quite a while. Until we meet again, dear friends, I wish thee all a very Happy and Mystic Halloween.<strong>


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